SoHo

Things to do in SoHo

Forget the clothes: the real lure is the Rem Koolhaas-designed store itself. Manhattan’s Prada flagship replaced the downtown branch of the Guggenheim Museum in 2001—and since then, architecture freaks (and, yes, fashionistas) have been flocking to the futuristic 23,000-square-foot store.

It's not the ambiance that brings crowds to this art-house cinema in the West Village—the seats are rock-hard and undersized and the facility years past a refresh. With its three small theaters often jam-packed, there's little question as to what provides the draw.

This narrow, gallerylike women's clothing store (think long expanses of white walls installed with reverently displayed handbags) is run by Beth Buccini and Sarah Easley, two former sorority sisters with impeccable taste.

Citizens of the style world decorate their dining rooms with finds from this tiny shop full of artfully stacked minimalist china, jewel-like tea sets, and cheery place settings. Everything is casually elegant and classic but of-the-moment and, in most cases, surprisingly affordable.